Welded rail joint



C. SCHENCK Dec. 12, 1939.

WELDED RAIL JOINT Filed Dec. 30, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l I gwoentoz fiarlas' 6612692010.

3% 4 m y a q Dec. 12, 1939. Q SCHENCK 2,183,047

WELDED RAIL JOINT Filed Dec. 30, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 12, 1939 UNITED f STATES:

amps: wnmsn nan. JOINT Charles Schenck, Ooopersburg, Pa, asslgnor to Bethlehem Steel. Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 30, 1937, Serial No. 182,406

'1 Claims. (o1. 219-10) My invention has for its object to provide a railway track composed of rails having continuous wearing surfaces, free from breaks or joints, whereby the life of the track and of the rolling stock is materially prolonged and the cost of maintenance reduced to a minimum, while at the same time easier riding of the cars is obtained with a materiallessening of noise.

The usual practice in constructing railway tracks is to connect the abutting ends of the rail sections together by means of splice'bars and bolts and to allow for a. slight gap or space between each of the connected ends of the rails for expansion and contraction of the rail lengths caused by the changes in temperature. This manner pf allowing for expansion and contrac tion for the rail sections was considered essential up to a few years ago. It is now known, however, by actual experience that with proper clips for securing the rails to deeply-ballasted ties or the like, a continuous rail having welded joints will not be materially affected by expansion and contraction as the fastening devices and the weight of the rail itself will hold it so rigidly in place that it cannot expand or contract.

When splice bars are used for connecting the ends of rail sections together within the limits of the joints the major portion of wear is caused by the impact of wheel loads moving over the two adjacent rail head surfaces where they are connected together by splice bars. This wear,.or batter as it is termed, occurs cm the ends ofv the rails. However, the major portion of the impact is absorbed by the end of the receiving rail at the joint. This batter is due to the fact that concentrated wheel loads transmitted to the rail through the small area of contact between the wheels and the rail set up a stress greater than the elastic limit of the steel in the rail. This results in what isgenerally known as cold flow of metal, and along the top sides of the head of the rail a bead is formed. Naturally, therefore, at the ends of the rail where the metal can push out over the end in addition to flowing to the sides, the ends of the rafl will form a depression or batter. I i

when once the depression is started the impact resulting from the wheels dropping into the depression increases the rate of batter. Poor rail joint maintenance also tends to accelerate batter.

When this batter reaches he! an inch it'is felt and heard by those riding over such track.

1 The maintenance of suclrtrack requires excessive sary that rail conditions be closely analyzed as to service life to determine the most practical and economical methods to 'use in prolonging that life.

Railroad maintenance engineers recognize the importance of extending rail service life with safety, and various methods have been very carefully studied to prolong this life.

' To prevent this wear and batter at the ends of the rail sections, railways have in recent years gether; to achieve a more rigid joint and a con- A tinuous rail which is believed to be the quickest, most economical and desirable manner of forming rail joints of the welded type. This however requires specially designed equipment to perform the welding operation in the field, but this is now being done by somerailroads, while others have resistance butt welded a plurality of rail sections "together in the shop and then transported the length of rails to the desired point on the tr ck and then welded the ends of the lengths toget r by means of thermit. g

Butt resistance welding is accomplished by clamping together the meeting ends of the rail sections and then fusing together their adjoining surfaces by means of continuous resistive electrical heating between suitable electrodes whichapply to the adjacent ends of the pair of rail sections both pressureandelectrical current. During this operation a considerable portion of the meeting ends of the rail sections are heated up and when the parts are squeezed together it produces an upset area or enlargement of considerable width at the weld, and for this reason this manner or welding is notas desirable as resistance flash welding which I intend to use in making my rail joints.

The making of the flash welds involves three steps, comprising, pre-heating of thesaid ends to be joined, flashing and a push-up. Arranged for welding, the rail sections are gripped simultaneously by clamping devices and current contact pads in the twoparts ofthe welding machine. The current is then turned on. In the 10 experimented in butt welding the ends of the rail sections together in order to eliminate the rail. ygiyslllld produce long stretches of continuous ends changes to a molten stage and flashes out from the contact faces, removing any rough spots or oxidized metal on the rail ends.

After a predetermined amount of flashing, the current is turned off and the rail ends are squeezed together preferably under fluid pressure causing the molten metal at the ends to fuse together and producing an upset area around the periphery of the rail at the point of weld. Immediately following the push-up operation, the rail clamp on the movable platen of the machine is released from the rail, and under pressure, the platen is moved forward to a point where it shears off a portion of the extruded upset metal of the weld. The rail is thenreleased from the clamping devices and the welded joint may then be given a stress-relieving operation in a heating furnace or the like if desired, or it may simply involve the grinding away of the rough remaining undesirable portions of the extruded upset metal.

One of the objects of my invention relates to forming the meeting ends of the rail sections in such a manner that the weld 'will have a greater length so that when the two ends are weldedtogether the joint will be as strong as the body of the rail.

Another object of my invention relates to increasing the length of welded joint.

Another object of my invention relates to the manner of welding the ends of the rail sections together at two different angles.

A further object of my invention relates to forming the ends of the rail sections at such an angle that when the ends are squeezed together under pressure at the end of the flashing operation they will remain in proper alignment and not slide laterally in relation toeach other.

Having thus given a general description of my -invention, I will now in order to make the same more clear refer to the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the abutting ends of two rail sections spaced apart with the base flanges and webs mitered and the heads out at right angles; v

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the rail ends shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2 but showing the abutting ends of two rails with the base flanges mitered and the heads and web cut 'around the periphery of the rail at the point of' weld has been removed;

In this opergleam? Fig. '7 is an end elevation of one of the rail sections shown in Figs. 1 and 2; I

Fig. 8 is a top plan view showing the base flanges and webs mitered in the reverse direction to that of the heads;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation showing the mitered ends of the rails shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view showing the abutting ends of a pair of rails cut at an oblique angle;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view showing the abutting ends of a pair ofrails connected by means of a V-shaped welded. joint;

Fig. 12 is a top plan view showing the abutting ends of tworails connected by a weld extending obliquely from one side of the rail through the webs and from that point at right angles to the opposite side of the rails;

Fig. 13 is a top plan view showing the abutting ends of a pair of rails connected by means of a V -shaped welded joint, one side of which extends through the webs of the rails;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation showing a joint for connecting the adjacent ends of a pair of rails extending at right angles thereto through the heads and from that point obliquely downwardly mitered as at l.

longitudinally to the base of the rails; and

Fig. 15 is a side elevation showing a joint for connecting the abutting ends of a pair of rails extending at right angles through the base flanges and from that point obliquely upwardly longitudinally to the top of the rails.

Referring now to the characters of reference on the drawings and first to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, the numerals I and 2 indicate the abutting ends of two rail sections each formed with a head 3, web 4 and base flanges 5. The abutting ends of each of the rails have their heads out at right angles thereto as at 6 while the webs 4 and base flanges 5 are cut at an oblique angle or In Fig. 3, however, the base flanges 5 at the abutting ends of the rail sections only are mitered as at 8 while the heads 3 and webs 4 are cut at right angles to the rails as at 9. g

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated the joint as it appears with the extruded or upset portion H just after the flash welding operation, and in Fig. 6 I have shown the abutting ends of the rail sections after the upset portion of the weld has been removedby grinding or a like operation, the'line of the weld for the head and mitered lower portion is indicated by the dotted lines I2 and I3, respectively. It will be noticed that in this figure I have shown the upset portion entirely removed but under ordinary conditions it is only necessary to remove it from the top and sides of the head and in case the joint is over a tie plate from the lower portion of the base flanges and their side edges.

In Figs. 8 to 15, inclusive, I have illustrated diagrammatically the lines for welds for connecting the abutting ends of the rails in a somewhat different manner in which, Figs. 8 and 9 show the heads of the rails mitered as at M while the web and base flanges are mitered as at I in the opposite direction thereto. Fig. shows the abutting ends of the rails welded together obliquely as at l6. Fig. 11 shows the connecting line of weld V-shaped in top plan as at ll. In Fig. 12 the abutting ends of the rails are con nected by a weld extending obliquely from one side of the rail through the webs as at 18 and from that point at right angles to the opposite side of the rails as at l9. Fig. 13 shows the connecting line of weld V-shaped in top plan having one side longer than the other and extending through the webs as-at 20. In Fig. 14 the weld extends at right angles for the abutting ends of the heads as at 21 and from that point obliquely downwardly longitudinally to the base of the rails as at 22, and in'Fig. 15 the joint for connecting the abutting ends of two rails extending at right angles for the base flanges as at 23 and from that point obliquely upwardly longitudinally to the top of the head of the rail as at 24. I am enabled by my invention to increase the welding area of the joint and to provide a continuous track composed of a plurality of rail sections which have their abutting ends connected together by means of flash welds of the strongest possible characters as by actual bending'tests I have found that these welded joints are substantially as strong as the body of the rail section.

" Rail sections of large sizes sometimes vary slightly in height caused by the wear and variation of the roll passes so that a 131-lb. RA rail section or the like is allowed a tolerance of about of an inch.

It is the usual practice in welding rails together to clamp them at the base of the rail sections, in this manner the top surfaces of the abutting ends of the rail sections are very often out of alignment caused by this variation in rolling and have to be resurfaced by milling or grinding in order to procure a smooth surface, for this reason I propose clamping the heads of the rail sections in such a manner that the top surfaces will be flush or in longitudinal alignment with each other thereby eliminating this extra work upon the top surface of the rail head.

In flash welding the ends of the rails together in the manner described produces a smooth treadsurface at--the joints, prevents the ends of the rail sections from becoming battered thereby adding several years to the life of the rail, eliminates the use of splice bars, bolts and drilling the ends of the rail sections at the joints and reduces the cost of maintenance.

It will be understood that the stress in the different forms of welds will be varied by the angle of the joints, but for good results I have found that an angle of substantially 60 to the longitudinal axes of the rail sections is the most desirable, for the reason that if the angle is greater the joint will not be as-strong, and if the angle is much less the pointed ends of the rail section will be flashed off during the welding operation. It will further be noted that in cutting each of the ends of the rail sections with a portion at right angles to the length of the rail and the remaining portion at an oblique angle thereto, or in forming the ends of the rails for a V-shaped welded joint, the ends of the rail sections when pushed together after the flash welding operation will remain in longitudinal alignment and will not slide laterally.

Although I have shown and described my invention in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited to the exact and specific details shown and described, but may use such substitutions, modifications or equivalents thereof, as are embraced within the scope of my invention or as pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patof each rail section at right angles and the web and base flanges at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the rail section, arranging the 3. The method of making a continuous railway I rail, which consists in taking a plurality of rail sections each having a head and base flanges connected by a web, cutting a portion of each of the ends of the rail sections at one angle and the 1 remaining end portions of said rail sections at an ...oblique angle in relation to that of the first cut end portions, arranging the rail sections in alignment wtih their complementary cut ends adjacent to each other, and then flash welding the abutting ends of the rail sections together.

4. The method of forming a continuous railway rail, which consists in taking a plurality of rail sections each having a head and base flanges connected by a web, cutting the ends of the heads at right angles and the ends of the base flanges and web at an angle of substantially 60 to the longitudinal axes of the rail sections, arranging the rail sections with, their complementary cut ends in' alignment to each other, and then flash welding the abutting cut ends of the rail sections together.

5. The method of forming a continuous railway rail, which consists in taking a plurality of rail sections each having a head and base flanges connected by a web, cutting a portion of the ends of each of the rail sections at right angles and the remaining portions at an angle of substantially 60 to the longitudinal axes of the said rail sections, arranging the rail sections in alignment with their complementary cut end portions adjacent to each other, and then flash welding the abutting angular cut ends of the rail sections together.

6. The method of making a continuous railway rail, which consists in taking a plurality of rail sections each having a head and base flanges connected by a :web, cutting the ends of each of the rail sections transversely at an acute angle from one side through the entire web to the full height of the rail sections and the remaining end portions at right angles to the longitudinal axes in alignment with their.v complementary formed angular cut ends adjacent to each other, and then flash welding the abutting ends of the rail sections together.

'7. The method of making a continuous railway rail, which consists in taking a plurality of rail sections, each having a head and base flanges connected by a web, forming one end of each of the rail sections with a vertically extending V-shaped projection and the opposite end of each section with a vertically disposed V-shaped recess, arranging the rail sections in alignment with the V-shaped projection adjacent to the V-shaped recesses, and then flash welding the abutting ends of the rail sections together.

CHARLES SCHENCK.

vof said rail sections, arranging the .rail sections 

